Abrading – Machine – Sandblast
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-01
2002-10-15
Rose, Robert A. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Machine
Sandblast
C451S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464569
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lifting device and to a method of operating that lifting device. More specifically, the lifting device has a support and a working means mounted on the support for treating a surface. A pressure mechanism is arranged between the support and the working means and provides a contact and engaging force on the working means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,417 discloses a device with a movable boom for supporting the device as it treats a surface. A device for cleaning the surfaces of objects having extensive surface areas with a movable blasting jet basket or cage is disclosed in DE 36 29 623 C2. In this case, one of more jet nozzles of a sand blasting apparatus, as disclosed in AT E 151 678 T1, are located in the blasting jet basket or cage for dust-free application of the blasting on surfaces.
EP 0 511 636 A1 discloses a device for positioning and guiding a tool, for example a cleaning tool for the aircraft. The alignment of the working means is performed by sensor-controlled stepping motors mounted on pivotal support arms articulated with one another. A similar arrangement of support arms, arranged one behind the other and articulated together and pivotally powered by a motor is disclosed in WO 83/03071.
EP 0 665 085 A1 discloses a device for working a surface in which the working means is engaged by magnetic force on the surface to be worked. The permanent magnets applying the magnetic force in this case are arranged on a support device for the working means.
DE 93 10 642 U1 discloses a surface blasting device having two removal suction openings offset from one another arranged in the working basket or cage. Within the working basket or cage baffle are found.
The lift platform includes an undercarriage which is customarily power-driven. An upper carrying chassis, rotatable around a perpendicular axis, is mounted on the undercarriage. On the upper carrying chassis, an overhand beam can pivot around a horizontal axis. The overhand beam is telescopically extensible, and its end more distant from the upper carrying chassis has a working means, a work platform or a working basket or cage, for example a blasting jet basket or cage.
The device can also incorporate, for example, a shearing device platform or a stamp, ram or piston platform. Its end adjacent to the surface to be worked supports a platform corresponding to the end of the overhang beam carrying the working means. In this embodiment, the device is preferably mounted on a movable undercarriage, especially on a movable undercarriage having a completely insertable steering control with an articulation angle of at least 90°, preferably on both sides or in both directions. Thus, by moving the platform during the overhead blasting procedure, the working means is brought into contact with the surface to be worked, while the forward thrust and the parallel displacement are carried out essentially by displacement of the platform. The engagement attained by displacement or positioning of the platform occurs during the blasting to the side, whereas the forward thrust can be executed especially by lifting and lowering of the platform. The working of the surface in terms of parallel movement in turn is performed especially by moving the platform forward. A multiply-articulated overhang beam can come into consideration as another alternative to the lifting platform, which multiply-articulated overhang beam customarily provides redundant spatial coverage by its mechanical means involving a number of articulations.
For certain purposes, for example involving the use of the lifting platform as the blasting tool itself, the working means is engaged directly on the surface to be worked. Prom the point of view of industrial safety, and for ecological and economical reasons, the working means must have the capacity to be engaged on the surface to be worked in such a manner that it engages the surface within a peripheral seal. For this purpose for example single-or double-row brush seals, a vacuum seal or a seal supported by magnetic force, as known from DE 29 04 093 A1, come into consideration.
In the case of a known lifting platform, the working means is engaged or pressed onto the surface to be worked through a pivot moment of the upper carrying chassis. The chassis is pivotal around the perpendicular axis relative to the undercarriage, or by means of sensor-controlled, multiple-axle drive systems engaging directly on the working means. This arrangement incorporates the drawback that either the contact and engagement force is not precisely adjustable and controllable because the total mass and bulk weight of the upper carrying chassis, the overhang beam and the working basket or cage must all be pivoted by the pivot movement, or the sensor-controlled drive systems are susceptible to interference in the area of the working means. Neither the required sealing between working means and surface to be worked nor the required service life of the lifting platform is guaranteed. Therefore, with the known lifting platform, the operational procedures on sensitive surfaces, such as for example for cleaning or application of varnish or paint to aircraft surfaces, cannot be carried out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the present invention are to provide a device for the working of a surface, especially a lifting platform, which platform also has a long service life and provides an adjustable contact and engagement force controlled with a high degree of constancy.
Objects of the present invention also include a method for the operation of such a lifting platform. The method is to guarantee particularly the covering of a predeterminable path on a surface having high maintenance requirements, wherein the working means is in constant contact with the surface to be worked.
The foregoing objects are attained through a lifting device for treating a work surface comprising a support and a working means for engaging the work surface mounted on the support. Pressure means, arranged between the support and the working means, provides a contact and engagement force on the working means. A suspension suspends the working means to more freely about two angularly oriented axes. The pressure means engages the suspension.
The foregoing objects are also obtained by a method of operating a lifting device, comprising the steps of contacting and engaging a working means on a surface to be treated by a pressure means arranged between the working means and a support on which the working means is mounted, displacing said working means along a predetermined path, and compensating for modifications of distances between the working means and the surface to be treated resulting from displacement of the working means along the predetermined path by a suspension engaging the pressure means and suspending the working means to move freely about two angularly oriented axes.
By the working means being suspended on the suspension arrangement, it is universally movable and can move freely about two axes forming preferably a right angle. Additionally, the means for supplying the contact and engagement force engages on the suspension arrangement, without any need for multiple-axle, sensor-controlled and breakdown-susceptible drive devices. Thus, a secure contact of the working means with the surface to be worked is guaranteed. The contact and engagement of the working means on the surface to be worked is executed by means of an independent single-axle control and regulation, and particularly with continuous force.
The suspension is preferably in the form of a fork-like suspension arrangement for the bell—or basket-shaped working means. The shaft of the fork-like suspension is suspended universally rotatable around its longitudinal axis, for example by means of a tapered or conical roller bearing. With suitable arrangement of terminal switches on the two driven axes of the suspension arrangement, when a predetermined pivot angle of the working means relative to the fork or to the axis of the tapered or conical r
Liftlux Potain GmbH
Rose Robert A.
Roylance Abrams Berdo & Goodman L.L.P.
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